DVD releases: 6 Souls, Inescapable, Cruising, and more

Since originality is in such short supply in horror thrillers, it's easy to forgive the somewhat muddled "6 Souls" (2013, Anchor Bay, R, $25) a few of its flaws.

Sure, it's overlong and a bit repetitive but it also starts out as one thing - a mystery about a man suffering from multiple-personality disorder - and cleverly morphs into something else entirely.

Julianne Moore stars as a psychiatrist tasked with figuring out if Adam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is genuinely schizophrenic or just faking it. Directors Marlind & Stein ("Underworld: Awakening") are better at atmosphere and red herrings than in smoothing out the crazy plot twists but why deny the scares? "6 Souls" is a puzzle worth solving. Extras: none.

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The Girl (2013, Virgil, PG-13, $20)

Abbie Cornish stars as Ashley, a Texas mother so desperate to raise enough money to regain custody of her young son that she attempts to smuggle a handful of Mexicans across the border. The crossing doesn't go as planned and she finds herself saddled with a young girl (Maritza Santiago Hernandez) who has been separated from her mother. Despite never mastering a believable Texas accent, Cornish grounds the film, which occasionally strains credibility with awkward developments. Still, as long as writer/director David Riker stays true to the story of Ashley's moral awakening, "The Girl" manages to be potent and provocative. Extras: featurette.

56 Up (2013, First Run, unrated, $28)

There's nothing quite like Michael Apted's superb film series, which revisits the same 13 subjects over the course of 49 years. Originally interviewed in 1964 as seven year olds, the British men and women at the heart of the latest installment are 56 now. Since more than a few of them have suffered a loss, "56 Up" is an undeniably powerful film. While being acquainted with the other movies gives this one an added resonance, it's not a prerequisite to appreciating Apted's themes, which involve class, family and, in the words of Roger Ebert, "the central mystery of life." Extras: featurette.

Inescapable (2013, IFC, R, $25)

While this thriller boasts slow-build suspense and a political subtext, it's really just "Taken" set in Syria, with Alexander Siddig in the Liam Neeson role of an increasingly frantic father desperate to save his kidnapped daughter from some very bad people. "Inescapable" isn't as expertly paced as "Taken" but it is helped along by a subplot involving the underused Marisa Tomei as Siddig's old girlfriend, and by a final face-off between Siddig and his old Syrian nemesis (Oded Fehr). Extras: commentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes.

The Brass Teapot (2013, Magnolia, R, $28)

In this unique fable about the evils of greed, a financially-strapped couple (Michael Angarano, Juno Temple) discover an antique teapot that spits out money when they're in pain. Soon they're living in a McMansion and punishing each other both physically and psychologically. It's a bit like "War of the Roses" but with a few spoonfuls of sugar. Angarano and Temple are immensely likeable and the premise is a doozy so even when the action grows a smidge repetitive, "The Brass Teapot" manages to entertain. Extras: commentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes.

Supporting Characters (2013, New Video, unrated, $27)

There's nothing terribly wrong with this New York-shot comedy starring Alex Karpovsky from "Girls." It's amiable, unpretentious and reasonably smart about the way relationships work. And yet it's so dull, it feels like a chore to sit through. The charisma-free Karpovsky and Tarik Lowe (who co-wrote the screenplay) star as film editors hired by a desperate producer to save his indie movie. Laughs are in short supply but the film does get a lift from appearances by "Girls" mastermind Lena Dunham as a disgusted sound mixer and Kevin Corrigan as a director whose ego has run amok. Extras: featurette.

Come Out and Play (2013, New Video, R, $28)

A remake of the obscure 1976 Spanish cult film " Who Can Kill A Child?," this low-budget horror shocker pits a pair of tourists (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vinessa Shaw) vacationing on an isolated Mexican island against marauding packs of killer kids. Your nervous system will get a workout from the non-stop tension and unrelenting sense of dread. "Come Out And Play" is shockingly simple but it still manages to hold you in its grip. Extras: featurette and deleted scenes.

Sons and Lovers (1960, Fox Cinema Archive, unrated, $25)

A candidate for the most depressing movie ever made, Jack Cardiff's adaptation of the classic D. H. Lawrence novel is the bleak saga of a young artist (Dean Stockwell) in early 20th century England who is so screwed up by his manipulative mother (Wendy Hiller) and distant dad (Trevor Howard) that he has no shot at real happiness. It might be downbeat but "Sons and Lovers" sucks you right in with its simmering romantic interludes and stunningly detailed cinematography by the late, great Freddie Francis ("Cape Fear," "Glory.") Extras: none.

Hard Times (1975, Twilight Time, PG, $30)

Beautifully restored for its Blu-ray bow, Walter Hill's directorial debut still packs a punch. There's not much of a story but Hill makes stunning use of the New Orleans locations while keeping the action moving along at a lively clip. A never-better Charles Bronson stars as a Depression-era drifter who makes a living as a street fighter. After he hooks up with a pair of con artists (James Coburn, Strother Martin), the stakes are raised and the bare-knuckle bouts grow increasingly brutal. It's pure pulp bliss. Extras: none.

Cruising (1980, Warner, R, $25)

At this year's Sundance Film Festival, James Franco unveiled "Interior. Leather Bar," a movie he co-directed and stars in which re-imagines the 40 minutes cut out of "Cruising," the still-controversial thriller directed by William Friedkin ("The French Connection.") Before Franco's film arrives, check out the newly remastered original, which stars Al Pacino as an NYPD officer who goes undercover into the S&M subculture in hopes of catching a serial killer preying on gay men. "Cruising" is a mess but as a time capsule of '80s Manhattan, it's strangely watchable. And the ambiguous, wackadoddle ending has to be seen to be believed. Extras: featurettes and Friedkin commentary.

Last Resort: The Complete Series (2012, Sony, unrated, $40)

Since this ABC-TV series wasn't renewed but was able to shoot its last episode after its cancellation notice came through, the show plays like a mini-series with all of the loose ends tied up in a satisfying manner. Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman star as the commanders of a submarine who are instructed to fire nuclear missiles at Pakistan. As they're questioning the order, they're attacked by another US submarine. Left for dead on a remote island, the men must clear their names and solve the mystery behind the ambush. Extras: featurettes.

Body of Proof: The Complete Third Season (2012, Buena Vista, unrated, $40)

The Dana Delaney police procedural gets a big overhaul, in the wake of Inspector Peter Dunlop's death. Not only is Delaney's new partner (Mark Valley) an old flame but the kidnapping of her daughter gives the series a sense of urgency. The changes didn't save "Body of Proof" from being cancelled but the solid third year is worth checking out, right down to the last episode, which resolves all of the mysteries. Extras: blooper reel and featurettes.

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: The Complete Series (1959-1962, Shout Factory, unrated, $140)

Based on the popular short stories by humorist Max Schulman, this TV classic stars Dwayne Hickman as the title character, a teenager in constant pursuit of the girl of his dreams. The first-rate supporting cast includes Warren Beatty, Tuesday Weld and Bob Denver as the scene-stealing Maynard G. Krebs. All 147 episodes are collected on 21 discs. Extras: bonus episodes and rare pilot footage.

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Second Season (1960, Image, unrated, $30)

In some ways, the sophomore year of Rod Serling's brilliant anthology series ranks as the best. There's the plastic-surgery-mindbender "Eye of the Beholder" as well as "Back There," an eerie time travel episode about a man (Russell Johnson) desperate to stop the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and, best of all, the stone-cold classic "The Invaders," which stars Agnes Moorhead as a woman tormented by aliens. If you're looking for a spine-tingling chill or two, it might be time to cross back over into "The Twilight Zone." Extras: none.